Young people in Kenya today live in complex and challenging times. The political and social turmoil of the 1990s left scars that today are being borne disproportionately by young people. By 2000, Kenya’s economy was at its lowest point since independence, with 56 percent of the population living in poverty and a negative growth rate of 0.2 percent. This economic environment inevitably had a destructive impact on the social fabric of the country. Despite this gloomy picture however, developments in more recent years have given grounds for optimism. One such development has been the creation of a Ministry of State for Youth Affairs.

Seventy-five percent of Kenya’s population is under 30 years of age. Young people – using the term to include those between 15 and 30 years of age – number 10.8 million or about 32 percent of the 2005 population projection. Of these, 57% are female and they form about 60% of the total active labour force in the country. However due to high levels of unemployment, most of them have not been absorbed in the job market.

Whilst many challenges face young people, undoubtedly the most acute is the inability to access employment – the lack of opportunities to earn a decent and honest living. It is this that drives young people into crime and drugs, and into a general state of hopelessness and despair. The issue of creating employment opportunities for the youth (formal, informal and self employment) needs therefore to be addressed urgently and with the kind of resources, focus and commitment as has been directed at HIV/AIDS. There is need for a “Marshal” plan as was used to re-settle landless people after independence. In fact, an investment in building the capacity of Kenyan youth by targeted interventions and in addressing their specific needs in terms of education, skills training and gainful employment is seen as imperative for national development and the realization of the Millennium Development Goals in Kenya by 2015. This Strategic Plan offers a coherent, ambitious but realizable road map to address this and other challenges facing young people.

Despite the above, there are a number of challenges faced while implementing youth policies. These include:

• High population growth rate among the youth which exerts pressure on available resources.

• Low economic growth rate.

• An education system in the country that produces graduates who are 
neither properly equipped for entry to the job market nor possess the 
necessary life skills.

• Government Ministries, youth organizations and international agencies 
that have their own individual youth programmes and policies which are 
not harmonized. This leads to duplication of efforts and limited impact

• Lack of adequate resources to run youth programmes.

Existing structures within public and private sectors and the prevailing 
attitudes that do not provide an enabling environment for the youth to participate in decision-making, planning and implementation processes.

Even though considerable effort has been made to provide education, training and entrepreneurial skills for the youth, most Kenyan youth lack the skills and experience to be successfully absorbed into the labour market or start their own businesses.

ICT is the fastest growing business sector in Kenya with youth filling the majority of positions. Access to technology is spreading rapidly and has proven to be an effective tool for development through its ability to foster information exchange and allow youth the opportunity to express their ideas and opinions.

The formulation of the National Youth Policy and the establishment of the National Youth Council are important advances towards enhancing youth development in Kenya. Nevertheless, the youth policy falls short of offering specific affirmative guidelines on the representation of the youth in governance bodies at local, regional and national levels.